Band type knitting needle



y 1950 J. w. PHILLIPS 2,507,174

BAND TYPE KNITTING NEEDLE Filed Nov. 23, 1946 25 Z fi F F7a2 INVENTOR. JUL/H h. pH/LL/PS B W/// 75/15/90 V064 TTORNEYS Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAND TYPE KNITTING NEEDLE Julia W. Phillips, Denver, 0010.

Application November 23, 1946, Serial No. 711,854

This invention relates to improvement in band type knitting needles for use in tubular knitting and also in those for use in fiat knitting.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel tip portion for a knitting band which shall accomplish, and in a more efiicient manner, all of the'objects and purposes of my knitting band as disclosed in my United States Letters Patent No. 2,090,807 and to perform additional functions.

A further object is to provide, in a knitting band (or band type needle) a tip portion which will facilitate the employment of the crochet action and lessen the movements required in forming a stitch and to so form such a tip portion that it may be efficiently used in knitting a plu rality of strands which are comparatively loosely associated as distinguished from a tightly wound strand.

A further object is to provide a tip portion which is usable by the crochet action and to provide a novel point for such tip portion.

A still further object is to provide a novel and improved knitting assembly, including my improved tip portion, for knitting tubular articles.

- With these and other objects in view, all of which shall more fully hereinafter appear, the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts as will now be described and as defined in the appended claims and illustrated, in preferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawing in which LFig. 1 is a view of a complete assembly for tubular knittin and embodying my invention.

- Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of the right hand element and the flexible connection taken at a 90 degree angle from that at which Fig. l is taken.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the tip section of the right hand element, a thread or strand or strands of yarn being shown in broken lines in position as engaged by my improved tip section.

V Fig. 5 is a side view of the tip section illustrated at Fig. 4.

f' Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken on line 66 of Fig. 4.

This invention pertains particularly to the proved tip portion. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged views of the tip portion, which portion is the same in both the band for tubular knitting and the straight band for fiat work.

The invention will be first described in terms applicable to the tubular knitting type as. illus-. trated at Fig. 1. This comprises a right element R and a left element L and a flexible connecting member F. The tip portions of the elements R and L are the same whether they be on straight bands for flat knitting or incorporated in the as v sembly for tubular knitting as illustrated at Fig. 1. The element L may have any ordinary tip such as that illustrated at l0, being a taper with rounded or dulled point to lessen the danger of splitting threads or strands or causing injury to the operator. The band designated as element R, is tapered, as at H at Fig. 1 (also illustrated at Fig. 6) and the point I2 is rounded as clearly seen at Figs. 1 and 4 and is slightly upturned or shovelled as clearly seen at Fig. 5, and is preferably provided with an orifice l3 through which a decorative thread may be passed and thus, in the course of the knitting, be incorporated into the knitting.

The underside of the tapered tip portion 30 is also tapered on a curved line, as at Ha, terminat ing and converging into the back or under side of the shovel point, all as clearly seen at Fig. 5. The top of the tapered portion I l is surmounted by a member [4 of approximately arrowhead shape whose base or broad end rises vertically from the band as at [5 but between whose edges and the band, slots or grooves l6 are provided for accommodation of threads or strands as indicated by the dotted lines at Figs. 4 and 5. These slots or grooves grow progressively shallower from base to tip of the arrowhead until, at the tip of the head, they merge into the surface of the band just back of the base of the shovel point [2 as at [1. The arrowhead also tapers from base to front end where its point merges with the surface of the band at the base of the shovel point as at l8.

When used in the assembly for tubular knitting, the element R is preferably enlarged as indicated (and exaggerated) at I9, to the rear of which enlargement the element is reduced to normal size as at 2e and therebehind curved as at 2| and thereafter tapered as at 22 to a comparatively thin, rounded edge 23 and provided with orifice 24 for engagement with a link or loop 25 of the flexible connection F. The element L has a smaller circumference than the element R but,' like element R; is a band and curves at '26, which' curve continues from its junction with the flexible element at 2'! to, and merges into, the straight portion 28 of element L. This curved portion of the element L is preferably provided with grooves or fiutings 26a to lessen the friction of the stitches as they slide along the element and thereby facilitate such sliding. The straight portion 28 of element L may be provided with an orifice, preferably diamond shaped such as 29,

through which may be drawn a thread orrstrand for ornamental purposes or for maintaining the stitches intact while the band or needle is removed from' the knitting for the measuring of the garment being knitted.

The element F is illustrated as a chain bu't'it may be made in various forms so longgas-flexie bility and smoothness of surface are maintained. This element should be at least as smalla's the end of element R with which it is engaged so as not to impede the sliding of the stitches from element R onto element F. Likewise, and for similar reason, element'L should not be larger than element F. Each stitch, as it is formed over the tip portion of element R, is loose so that it will stretch, as necessary, to a sliding fit on the tip portion and will therefore stretch to the size sufficient to slide over enlarged portion l9 and as it'passes that portion of the tip it will contract slightly but not sufiiciently to impede its sliding along the smallerpdrtionZU of element R and.

thence, as the knitting proceeds, onto and across the flexible element F and onto and along element L. This facilitation of the movement of the stitches along these elements speeds up theknitting operation as it makes it unnecessary to stop,

the knitting in'order to move the stitches along the elements, as is necessary when the elements are of uniform size throughout and the stitches have a tight fit thereon. The fiutings 26a further lessen the friction and facilitate the sliding of;

the stitches along element L as well as furnish ing air spaces within the stitches and thereby avoiding the accumulation on element L of perspiration from the hand of the operator. The

high degree of flexibility of the chain and its while avoiding the splitting of the thread or.

strands even when very loosely associated strands constitute the thread which is being knitted. When the stitch or loop has been engaged by the point it easily slides over the arrowhead, be-

cause of its above-described shape, until it drops.

down behind the base of the arrowhead whereupon the element R drawn backward and the loop or stitch engages the base of the arrowhead and the sides of the loop naturally position themselves in the grooves l6, being then in the position indicated by the dotted lines at Figs. 4 and 5. The distance from the base IE to the orifice E3, which is adjacent the base of the shovel point, is the length of the stitch. The .arrow-,

heads and the bands vary in size according to the kind of knitting product desired, so that when the desired length of stitch for such product is ascertained, a band with a head of the desired length is selected'and the use of .suchband-with;

.-;'strand threads by needles or like equipment now .in use. 'illustrated and described will be obvious to those Other advantages of the construction zskilled in'the art and need not be here enumerated.

It will also be obvious that, when flat knitting is to be done, straight bands, having tip portions like those illustrated and described above, may be used with .the same results, as regards the formation of the stitch, as those hereinabove described and'iridicated.

While I have illustrated and herein described many details of construction, I am not to be restricted to such details but am to be protected as to those alternatives and equivalent structures which will occur to those skilled in the art and within the spirit of the foregoing disclosure and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

- 1. A knitting band having .an arrow-headshaped member mounted on a face of its tip portion and thread-receiving grooves along and between the edges of the band and the edges of the member.

2. 'In a knitting band as defined in claim 1, the central portion of the base of said member rising from and perpendicular to the plane of the face ofgthe band.

3. In a knitting band as defined in claim 1, an upwardly curving, flattened and round edged point of the band immediately forward of the point of the arrowhead.

4. In a knitting band as defined in claim 1, an upwardly curving, flattened and round edged point of the band immediately forward of the point of the arrowhead and a thread-receiving orifice throughsaid upturned point near the base thereof.

5. An implement for knitting tubular articles comprising, in combination, a right hand knitting band having a straight portion, including the knitting point, and a curved rear portion, afiexible connection of smaller circumference than saidband, a second knitting band having a straight portion including the point and a curved rear portion not larger in circumference than said'fiexible connection, orifices at the rear ends of said bands, said flexible connection being loose- 1y linked through said orifices.

6. .In an implementas defined in claim 5, the

straight portion of the right hand band having an enlargement immediately back of its knitting point portion and being thereafter reduced in size.

'7. Inan implement as defined in claim 5, said flexible connection comprising a chain loosely linked to the termini of the curved portions-of the bands through said orifices.

8. .Inan implement as defined in claim 5, the right hand band being tapered to a flat, rounded end at the terminus of its curved portion.

9- n msl e m sse finsd cl 5, the.

5 curved portion of the left hand band having a fluted surface.

10. An implement for knitting tubular articles comprising, in combination, a right hand knitting band having a straight portion, including a tip portion having an arrowhead-shaped member mounted on its upper face, and a curved rear portion, a flexible connection of smaller circumference than said band, a second knitting band having a straight portion including a knitting point and a curved rear portion not larger in circumference than said flexible connection, said flexible connection being loosely linked to the termini of said bands.

11. In an implement as defined in claim 10, thread-receiving grooves along and between the edges of the right hand band and the edges of the member.

12. In an implement as defined in claim 10, the central portion of the base of said member rising from and perpendicular to the plane of the face of the right hand band.

13. In an implement as defined in claim 10, an upwardly curving, flattened and round-edged point of the right hand band immediately forward of the point of the arrowhead-shaped member.

14. In an implement as defined in claim 10, an upwardly curving, flattened and round-edged point of the right hand band immediately forward of the point of the arrowhead-shaped member and a thread-receiving orifice through said upturned point near the base thereof.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,043,958 Engel June 9, 1936 2,090,807 Phillips Aug. 24, 1937 2,093,631 Burnham Sept. 21, 1937 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 173,618 Great Britain Jan. 6, 1922 720,844 France Dec. 12, 1931 765,590 France Mar, 26, 1934 

